I spray painted my bed and will not be doing that again.

I have so many projects going on at the moment that I'm pretty sure I'm driving my whole family bonkers with the big messes I'm leaving behind.

Some of my projects are simple and go rather smoothly, others, not so much! Like this bed makeover, it was such a pain in the tush for me, but even so, I'm so pleased with the final results.

And even more pleased to have another project crossed off the list.

My bed was black before. It's an Ethan Allen bed that my mother-in-law picked up for us at a yard sale a few years back. I had it in our room for a while, but then I switched it out for this wicker headboard, and so it had just been hanging out in our garage.

Then the need for change struck me and so I decided to bring it back in.

But this time I wanted it painted white.

I've used spray paint on other furniture projects before, and its worked out great. Spray painting furniture can be a fast and easy solution. And because my bed has a lot of slats, I decided spray paint would be a great idea.

I first sanded the bed really good with my hand sander.

I then wiped it clean from dust.

I went to the store and bought 4 cans of Rust-o-leum, semi-gloss, white spray paint, which by the way is my favorite brand of spray paint. I came home and painted the bed with all 4 cans. It looked really good, it covered well, it just needed another coat.

So the next day I went back to the store and picked up 4 more cans of spray paint.

I came home and painted with just about 3 of the cans and then this happened.....

The paint started crackling everywhere. What the heck! ~ So I headed to google to figure out why, and it could have been caused by a few different things, one, I may have needed to wait 48 hours to add the second coat, I only waited 24 hours. Two, I may have applied it to heavy, or Three, the weather may have been too hot or too cold. I believe it was the first reason, I should have waited an extra day.

So now What?

I sanded all of the troubled spots down really well until they were smooth to the touch.

Oh, and I also learned that you need to let the paint 'Cure' for a couple of days before you sand it, otherwise the paint will gunk up.

So my bed had been sitting outside for weeks. In the mean time, it was raining, the leaves were falling, I had to wipe it down every time I went out to work on it.

But after 4 more cans of spray paint, and a few more sandings in special spots, with a few more days in between so the paint could 'cure', I finally got it looking decent enough to bring back into the bedroom.

But before I set up the bed, I first drew some lines on the walls to look like wood planks.

I wonder if you started with chalk paint for it to adhere then moved to spay if it would be better... this scares me as I always think... oh sure, I'll spray that tomorrow .... yikes. but it looks great now!

Beautiful! So glad you were able to find a solution. And the wall!! Seriously thought it was planks, still think it's planked and your kidding us lol. How ever did you do that and make it look so real.

I love your all-white room Em. Reminds me of mine before I painted my walls. Looks like all your hard work paid off on that bed, but I don't know how you find the time to do all your remodeling. I've been wanting to paint my kitchen cabinets for a couple years now and that project is still not done and probably won't be any time soon. I seriously don't know how you do it. You're amazing!

I believe what happened was the black paint is a an oil based paint. It's common for pre fab manufacturers to use this on furniture and doors. And when you used a latex paint over the oil it will not bond to the surface. A good way to test this is with denatured alcohol. Put some on a cotton ball and rub an inconspicuous spot, if the paint doesn't come off it's an oil based paint. Behr Marquee makes a great primer with a bonding agent in it to solve this problem. Sorry I couldn't get this tidbit to you before the hair pulling. But it'll make a great future reference.

About Me

Hi, I'm Emily! I live in Idaho with my husband, two boys, and a Great Dane named, Stormy. I have a love for decorating. My style is laid-back and lived-in, and I'm naturally drawn to coastal, cottage, farmhouse, and bohemian styles. Here at The Wicker House you will find lots of creative DIY projects, simple decorating ideas, as well as a few recipes here and there. I'm Happy you stopped by!